


2P! Hamilton

by Hamiltalian



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Domestic Disputes, Gun Violence, M/M, Murder, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-01-01 03:32:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18327767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiltalian/pseuds/Hamiltalian
Summary: 2P: A concept started in the Hetalia fandom where every character has a polar opposite or alter ego, usually a darker side.2P! Hamilton: Exactly that, but with Hamilton characters, an idea I got from a Tumblr anon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hetalia fans: Yes, I know these are kind of similar to existing 2Ps, but I didn't do it on purpose and I think it's fitting. 
> 
> TW: Domestic abuse, graphic violence, child predators (not the main characters), murder, derogatory language, use of the f word

John sighed and scrolled through his cellphone mindlessly as he waited for his friends to join him at the bar. He’d already had an entire soda waiting for them. He knew that it wasn’t good to have so much sugar, but it had been a whole hour!

As he scrolled, a message popped up from his friend Alexander.

[Lexi :): Hey, sorry, but we’re going to be late.]

John pouted and responded.

[That’s fine! I’ll see you guys when you get here :)]

He sighed and messaged his boyfriend, Hercules, asking if he was joining him, at least. While he waited for a response, he noticed a man messing with the bartender and moved closer to see what the trouble was.

“I already told you, James, it’s over.. Just leave me alone,” she groaned.

The man reached over the bar and grabbed her arm roughly. “Do you honestly think you have a better alternative? We both know you’re leaving here with some loser for whatever he offers you. You might as well go home with me for free.”

“Let me go!”

John looked around to see if anyone was going to help, but they were just a bunch of drunk men, trying to encourage her to just agree to whatever the jerk was saying and to make their drinks. John found it sickening… He took a deep breath before walking over, tapping the man on his shoulder. “Excuse me sir…”

The man rolled his eyes and looked down at the other, scoffing at his pastel blue sweater. “Stay out of this, fag.”

John was hardly fazed. After all, he’d heard much worse and he had to focus on helping the poor woman. “You should leave her alone. I don’t think she wants to be touched and it’s not good for you to force her into anything.”

“Fuck off,” the strange man growled, John catching the strong scent of alcohol on his breath. It was vile.. But useful.

He backed away and moved to another bartender, asking for two shots of whiskey. He took them back to where he’d been sitting before, adding something special to them both, and waited.

Once the man backed away from the girl, John took his chance, walking over with the two shots.

“I’m sorry for earlier… I shouldn’t have interfered. A man has to do what a man has to do,” he shrugged, an apologetic smile on his face. “What do you say we just down a shot and forget about what happened?”

The other hardly thought before taking the shot that John was offering.

It was important that John fixed both. Some took the one he offered, some took the one he kept toward himself.

John smiled and down the shot at the same time as the man, filtering the disgusting drink through his teeth and reluctantly swallowing it, feeling the capsule that he’d added stopping at his front teeth. He put down the glass and began to walk off, but was stopped by the same man.

“Don’t be a pussy. Take another shot with me.”

“Oh, um… I don’t drink much.. It was just a friendly offer,” John explained, pushing the capsule under his tongue.

“Just one and I’ll leave the bitch alone for a while.”

John winced at his harsh words, but if it got him to leave her alone… All he really needed was a few minutes, but the more time she went without him, the better. So, he agreed and downed another shot, slowly starting to feel its effects.

“You know what? For a little fag, you’re alright,” the man said, clapping his hand hard against John’s back.

John laughed uncomfortably and left to the bathroom, spitting out the capsule and emptying his stomach, just for good measure. It may not dissolve in anything weaker than stomach acid, but stomach acid was something that the drinks had already hit and, oh, how he hated getting drunk. He didn’t like how he acted so wild, so out of control.

Once he was done, he flushed his mess away and walked out, ignoring the screaming crowd that surrounded the corpse on the floor and shooting the pretty bartender a smile, asking for a glass of water.

* * *

Hercules dragged himself off of the couch and out of the door in sweats. He was just going drinking, so what was the point in throwing on “real pants” as John called them. He walked down the streets and was about halfway to the bar when he passed a playground. He instinctively turned to look - he had a secret soft spot for kids. Well, and for puppies, but kids don’t make John cry from fear. Anyways, he saw this teenager with a full backpack and a man talking to her. She was clearly uncomfortable, leaning away and taking a few steps back, but he was persistent, moving closer with each step away she took.

Hercules glared and made his way over, pushing the man away from her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“What? I’m just offering her a place to stay. Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same,” the man grinned. “She’s beautiful. She should find somewhere to stay before some creep snatches her up.” He tried to move past Hercules, but was stopped as he grabbed his shirt collar, tossing him to the ground.

Hercules turned towards the girl. “How old are you?” he asked softly, his demeanor completely changing.

“Twelve… My mom says I can’t go back because I said I’m a boy..”

“That’s awful..” His grip tightened on the man’s collar as he reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone and headphones. “Here, listen to some music as loud as you can and keep your eyes closed, okay? I’m going to punish him for what he tried to do, then I’ll get you some help, okay?”

He nodded and did what Hercules did, shutting his eyes tight and listening to loud music.

Once it was loud enough for Hercules to hear it, he turned back towards the man, a dark gleam in his eye as he shoved him onto the ground.

“You think it’s fine to pray on children?” he asked, his tone calm as he sent his foot flying into the creep’s spine, making him shout out in pain.

“Hey! Don’t fucking scream. You scream and I swear to god, you won’t be getting away from this alive,” he threatened.

It was that simple. The false promise of life always made them shut up.

Hercules knelt down. “I bet you’ve done this before, haven’t you, you sick fuck?” Out came his pocket knife and in it went to the creep’s right lung. Next, of course, it struck lower, definitely giving the creep the castration he deserved. Those muffled screams were music to his ears, the sound of justice that he knew would never be served otherwise.

“This is what you do to those who you’ve hurt, I hope you know that,” he continued, his voice as calm as ever. “You think it’s cool, you get off on hurting these kids, but it lasts,” he hissed. “People tell them it’s their fault, that they shouldn’t have trusted a man like you. I’m here to show you that your bullshit won’t go without consequences.” He got his knife back. He’d done enough to seal his fate.

Hercules wiped his hands on the creep’s clothes and stood up, tapping the kid’s shoulder and turning them away. “Hey, I’m going to go wash my hands, then I can take you to my place, if you want. Just to give you a place to crash.”

“Did you kill him?..” he asked, hesitantly.

Hercules shook his head. “I just hurt him pretty badly..” It wasn’t technically a lie. “I know his type. He wouldn’t have stopped hurting kids like you if I just let him go. And, don’t worry, I never hurt kids,” he reassured.

The kid hesitated before nodding, deciding to trust Hercules. “I don’t want to go home..”

“And I won’t make you. You can crash with me and my friends as long as you want.”

“Okay…”

Hercules smiled before standing up straight again, going to the bathroom and cleaning up his knife as well as his hands, then taking the kid back to his place, where he knew he’d be safe.

* * *

Lafayette stayed outside of the bar as Alexander went with John, just feeling like having a cigarette in the quiet before dealing with all of those people. He stood in the alley and lit his cigarette, smoking in peace until this asshole approached him.

“Hey, honey, what’ll it cost for you to let me smash?”

Lafayette scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Please.. You are not worth my time.”

“Alright, what about for a good suck? It’d be a better use for that pretty little mouth.”

“Why don’t you fuck off?”

The weirdo smacked the cigarette from Lafayette’s hands. “Why don’t you get off your high horse?”

That was it. Lafayette grabbed the guy’s shirt and turned him, slamming his back against the wall and spitting in his face. “I recommend you get out of my damn face before you regret it. I can make you wish you were never born. I’ll make you wish you were dead, that you’d never made the mistake of calling me some whore.”

The guy was definitely intimidated. Lafayette looked like he could crush his skull if he wanted to. “Fine, just let me go.”

“Let you go?! Where was the letting me go before you smacked my cigarette out of my hand? Don’t you know better than to touch a smoker’s cigarette?”

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“Shut the hell up and look me in the eye.”

There was a split second of hesitation, but the guy did just that.

“When I’m through with you, you’ll wish you were never-”

Lafayette was cut off by the blast of a handgun going off, a bullet going straight through the stranger’s brain. Lafayette groaned as he was coated in blood and glared down the alley, not surprised to see his boyfriend, Alexander, standing there, John standing beside him with his hands over his eyes.

“What the hell did you do that for?” Lafayette demanded, throwing the corpse onto the floor.

Alexander shrugged.

Lafayette tutted. “Well, you got blood all over me. Now I actually have to shower,” he grumbled before walking over to them.

“Um… The cops are coming… We have to go home,” John said meekly.

Lafayette rolled his eyes. “You could’ve started with that.” He pulled off his dirtied hoodie and tossed it into John’s arms. “Happy?” John always bugged him about how long he wore his clothes, but what was the point in washing them if he was just going to wear them again? What was the point in getting new clothes when his own fit him just fine.

John was smart enough not to respond. They may have been friends, but Lafayette wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him, badly. He even called him chubby once. But this wasn’t the time to cry. It was time to go home.

As they began walking, Lafayette followed John in his tank top, his arm around Alexander and his hand resting on his boyfriend’s ass. “Next time, at least give me a warning. It’s not the same as when I inject them, but it is nice to see the light leaving their stupid eyes.”

“Sure.” Alexander didn’t really get it. Lafayette’s way of killing involved too much work. Why would they do that when a gun could do it in half the time? But he didn’t feel like saying it out loud. It wasn’t his place.

“I hope Hercules won’t be too upset that we have to go home…” John commented. “I’m sure he got out of bed and everything.”

“Oh, grow a pair,” Lafayette snapped at him. “I don’t know why you have to cry over everything. You’re such a pussy. Alexander never says anything, but at least he doesn’t cry.” If there was anything that he truly hates, it was men who couldn’t keep in their own feelings, like everyone else.

John felt tears welling up in his eyes.

Lafayette rolled his eyes. “Such a wimp.”

Alexander shrugged. John should be able to do what he pleased, right? But it wasn’t up to him to tell Lafayette what to do either.

Besides John’s crying, the rest of the walk home was quiet, none of them expecting the surprise that Hercules had in store.


	2. Chapter 2

“We’re home!” John announced as they stepped through the door, surprised to not see his boyfriend on the couch, where he was usually parked. 

Lafayette stole the seat and grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the coffee table, lighting one up. 

“Oh, not in the living room! You know how the smell stays!” John whined, trying to push Lafayette off of the couch. 

But Lafayette was like a rock. “That sounds like your problem.” He took a drag of his cigarette before blowing a cloud of smoke in John’s face, making his nose scrunch up in disgust. 

“Ew..” He backed away and pulled off his sweater before the smell could stick, leaving himself in a plain t shirt. “Hercules, Laf is smoking on the couch again!” he called out. Maybe now that Hercules got himself off of the couch, he’d actually help. 

And it seemed like the angels were finally answering John’s pleas, Hercules barreling into the room. 

“Laf, man, you can’t be smoking in the house anymore. We’re going to have a guest staying with us.”

“No! Not another dog! You know how much they hate me!” John cried out, jumping into Alexander’s arms, the other staying stone faced. John had done that many times before. Alexander didn’t drop him like Lafayette did. 

“Relax, babe, it’s not a dog.” He turned towards the hallway and waved someone out. “Come on, kid, it’s okay.”

John, Lafayette, and Alexander all watched as a teenager appeared from around the corner, face forward, but eyes down. 

“Oh, she’s precious!” John squealed, jumping out of Alexander’s arms and running over to the teenager. “It’s so nice to meet you! What’s your name?”

“Uh..” he began, looking up at Hercules for reassurance. 

Hercules smiled. “Don’t worry. He’s friendly, just hyper.” 

“Okay.. Um.. I don’t really have a name picked out.. And I’m a boy..” he said, hesitant about the last statement. 

John gasped and his eyes widened in shock. “Oh, how could I be so insensitive?! I’m just like you! I mean, a little further down the road, but I am just like you otherwise. You’re a very handsome young man and you don’t need to have a name picked out immediately, it’ll just come with time. What should we call you then?”

He thought for a second. “Eli?.. It’s an old nickname and it’s kind of neutral.. Just until I figure out what I want to be called.”

“Of course!” John assured. “I was called Harry before I decided to stick with John.” 

Lafayette rolled his eyes. “As sickening as this is, can I get a reason as to why he’s even here in the first place?”

John rolled his eyes. “Oh, ignore him. He smokes and, it’s like my mother always said. A nasty habit will lead to a nasty attitude.” 

Lafayette snarled and stepped forward to get John for that comment, but was held back by Alexander grabbing his wrist. He looked at his boyfriend and scoffed as he shook his head. “But he-” 

Alexander shook his head. 

“Alex!” 

Alexander shook his head. He typically wasn’t one to butt in, but he was the only thing keeping Lafayette from ripping everyone to shreds between cigarettes. 

“Fine.” He pulled his arm away and glared at Hercules. “Well?!” 

“Hey, chill out,” Hercules demanded. “I found him in the park and this creep was trying to get him, so I brought him here, somewhere safe. His parents kicked him out, just because he wants to be himself.” 

John pouted and opened his arms for a hug, something that the boy gladly gave him. 

“I’m sorry... My father did the same thing to me. He had the decency to wait until I was 18... But I suppose that was because that’s when I told him. I didn't have the bravery to do it sooner and here you are, suffering for doing just that..” He sighed and pulled away, looking at the poor boy in front of him. “You’re going to be safe here. I promise you.” 

And Lafayette was no monster. Even he had to pity the poor kid, despite having no idea what he was going through. Because he had no idea what he was going through. 

Lafayette sighed. “Fine.. He can stay.”

Hercules tutted. “Like there was any choice.”

“I’m going outside,” Lafayette stated, taking his smoking outside for once. 

Alexander stayed inside and looked at Hercules. “Where’s he staying?”

“We’ll figure something out. All I know is we’re not taking him back to anyone who would kick him out because he’s a little different. If his parents want him back, they’ll try to find him, then he can decide what to do,” Hercules stated, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Alexander nodded. It was nice that Hercules wanted to help this kid, but maybe he should’ve thought this out better. “Is this kidnapping?” He wouldn't have cared, they didn't do anything wrong by giving the kid a safe place to stay, but he didn't want to get arrested or anything. After all, the difference between that and murder was that they actually had the kid there as evidence. 

Hercules shrugged. “I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Okay.” Alexander glanced over at John and the kid, the two still hugging. “Do you have any things? I’m going shopping tomorrow.”

Eli sighed and pulled away from John. “Some things.. Um..” He left and got his backpack. “I just packed really quickly.. I got clothes, my toothbrush, a bar of soap, and a wash rag..” He went over and sat on the couch, digging through his bag. “Probably some other things, I’m not sure what was in here before.” 

“It’s fine. We’ll figure it out. For now, we have a spare room you can take. Come on.” Alexander nodded towards the stairs, Eli getting up and following. 

John and Hercules followed behind them to the spare bedroom at the end of the hall, the former pushing his way in front of everyone. 

“I know it’s a bit bare, but we don’t usually have people staying there.” 

Bare was an understatement. The room was hardly more than a bed and a dresser, the walls were a generic off white, and dust decided to make its home on every surface it could find. 

Eli looked around and shrugged. “It’s fine. You guys letting me stay here is already so huge.. I can repay you while I’m here. I think I took some money..” He put his bag down on the bed and began taking his things out. 

“No, please, we couldn’t take your money,” John insisted, going over to join him. “You’re a child.. Helping you is just basic human decency.” He looked down at the clothes that he had and cringed a bit. “I assume you never got a chance to shop to your own tastes?..”

Eli shook his head. 

John thought a bit and looked back to Alexander. “I might have to raid your closet..” He was a bit bigger than Eli, but he was tied for John as the smallest of them. Except Alexander's wardrobe wasn't entirely pastel.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” Eli insisted, looking up at John. “I can buy my own clothes. And I don’t need much, you guys probably won’t want me here too long, so I can find some kind of shelter..”

“No. You’re here, you’re safe, you’re staying,” Lafayette insisted as he reappeared at the door. He'd seen kids going through hard times. He'd seen the bullshit system that they were put in. This kid would have to be pretty damn lucky to make it out of there without any mental scars, or lucky to make it out at all, especially being trans. Lafayette knew they were saving him. 

John’s eyes widened a bit and he smiled hopefully. “You mean it?..”

He nodded. “I’ll even clean out the basement, make him a real room.” Besides, how much room could a kid that age possibly take up?

Eli shook his head and sat down, feeling overwhelmed. “Guys... Guys, you don’t have to do all of this for me..” These strangers were opening up their home to him, offering to make him his own space. His own parents couldn’t even do that and he doubted any of his family would. It was just so much to take in all at once. 

John smiled softly at him and took his hands. He understood. He didn’t believe Hercules would be okay with John being trans, but Hercules didn’t seem to mind, John’s female body making no difference in the fact that he had a completely male heart. He was afraid of coming out to Lafayette and Alexander when they all moved in together, when John still had his monthly periods, but they were completely indifferent to it. Heck, he was hesitant to get top surgery, thinking that Hercules wouldn’t exactly be all for it, but his boyfriend was nothing less than supportive. And now, he wanted to give at least a little bit of that support to Eli. “You’re safe and welcome here. Until we can figure out somewhere safe and loving for you to stay, you are welcome to see this as your home.” 

Hercules smiled and walked over, putting a hand on each of their backs. “You’re good here, Eli. We’re your new home.” 

Eli teared up and wiped his eyes, sniffling quietly. “I’m sorry..”

“Don’t be. It’s okay to cry,” John assured, sitting down beside him. 

Lafayette shook his head and walked over, reaching out to put a hand on Eli’s shoulder. Real men didn’t cry. Everyone knew this. 

John stopped him, his grip on Lafayette’s wrist painfully tight. “He’s a kid. He might not fit your definition of a man, but he is a kid. Let him feel.”

Lafayette furrowed his eyebrows a bit, but nodded and pulled his wrist away. It was so rare that he actually saw John showing any type of aggression, much less against Lafayette himself. So, he backed down. 

"Don't worry, dear.." John muttered. "We'll take care of you." 

Eli wiped his eyes and nodded. "Thank you... I can't thank you enough.."

John pulled him back into a hug. "You don't need to. Now, it's really late. Why don't we all get to bed, okay?"

Alexander took that as a cue to step forward and grab Lafayette's arm, pulling him out of the room. 

"I've never seen John act like that. How do you think this will end?" Lafayette asked once they were out of earshot. 

Alexander thought for a minute. There were so many ways that this could end. Eli could disapprove of their lifestyle and leave, devastating John. He could completely approve and basically become one of them. He could tell the cops what he was doing or he could rob them blind and run away, knowing that the four men couldn't. So many choices, Lafayette probably had one in mind. So Alexander just shrugged. It was easier than picking an idea. 

"I don't know why I asked," Lafayette chuckled. He knew how indecisive Alexander was. He didn't mind it, though he wished he would give an opinion more than once in a blue moon. 

"So, I guess we're not really allowed to screw as long as that kid is down the hall," Lafayette realized as he shut their bedroom door behind them, tutting. "This is why I want him in the basement. More than that, John's actually aggressive when it comes to protecting this kid, so just doing it to screw with him might not be a good idea for once." Which was definitely a sentence Lafayette never saw himself saying, but he was kind of happy about it. 

He cared for John in his own way and it made him angry to see his friend hurt. More than anything, he got angry at John himself because the guy made it so easy, but of course Lafayette also blamed those who hurt him. He wasn't the nicest person, but he would never kick someone while they were down or fight anyone who so obviously wouldn't be able to hold their own. Not everyone was so merciful.

Alexander shrugged. He supposed that John was acting different, but he wasn't so sure it was good. After all, if John did get hurt by the kid, he'd be devastated. But it was John's choice, so whatever. He just got changed and got in bed, Lafayette joining him a minute later. 

"You go ahead and help Eli get situated. I'm heading to bed," Hercules said, giving John a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. 

John nodded and smiled at him before turning to Eli. "Alright. The bathroom is just across the hall," he informed him, pointing out into the hallway at the bathroom door. "Don't worry, we may be a house of grown men, but I make sure we keep it clean." Not that anyone besides Hercules was particularly messy. 

Eli nodded and followed his gaze, backpack in hand. "What do you guys do?.. Like Hercules just hurt that guy, so I'm just wondering what kind of work you guys do to afford a place like this.." 

"Oh.." John muttered. "I don't know how he can stand all that blood." He turned to look at Eli, concerned. "Are you okay? Did you see anything?"

He shook his head. "No, he was careful, so I know he'd done it before... But a place is a place and he doesn't seem like the type to hurt me.."

"He's not at all," John assured. "We're not really the best of people, but we only even think of hurting those who deserve it..." He trailed off as he remembered the guy who Alexander killed. Lafayette's temper was pretty easy to set off. He wasn't nearly as justified, but, then again, John's actions weren't always so justified to the others. His thoughts were cut off by Eli asking another question. 

"'We'?.. Does that mean you hurt people too?.."

"Well..." John couldn't lie, especially not so blatantly. "Yes... But we do have rules. We never touch anyone younger than 18 and we never do so for fun. I will admit, once they find someone, Hercules and Lafayette have a tendency to draw out their suffering for their own personal entertainment.." He shuddered. 

Eli nodded slowly. "Wow.. Um..." He had so much to say, yet had no idea what he wanted to ask. "This is crazy.. My own parents kicked me out and I'm being taken in by literal psychopaths.."

John cringed at the term. "I wouldn't say that. We all have different ways of reasoning, but there's always a good reasoning for what we do. Hercules hurt that man because he hurts children. And, going after someone who appears to be a lost teenage girl, it probably wasn't his first time... Then, I.." He hesitated for a second. 

John wasn't ashamed of what he did, not for a second, but he was afraid of what kind of impact it would have on Eli's trust in him. Still, it was better to be honest, wasn't it? "I poisoned a man tonight because he was harassing this woman.. He was degrading her and you could tell that she was scared and that this wasn't the first time.. She was his ex and he couldn't take no for an answer.. Nobody else did anything and I knew that nobody would, so I had to save her.." 

Eli leaned against the door, taking a minute to process everything that he was hearing. Okay... He was safe himself, right? Wasn't that all that mattered? 

There was one thing still bothering him.. "Am I going to have to..." He couldn't even say it. 

John shook his head. "No! No, we would never make you do that. We know that what we do isn't exactly seen as morally right to most people, but it is to us. If you don't want to, you don't have to and I'll make sure you don't see anything like this. We'll all make sure you don't." They already made sure that John never saw blood, so how big of an adjustment could it be? 

Eli took a deep breath before nodding. They seemed sincere enough... If they weren't, he did believe that they wouldn't kill him, not with him being a kid and all. Worst case scenario, he ended up on the streets again. What was the harm in having somewhere to stay in the meantime? "Okay... You never really answered my question, though.. What do you guys do for a living?" 

"Oh!" John exclaimed, chuckling awkwardly. "Well, I'm a kindergarten teacher, but I also do sewing lessons on the weekends and during the summer and knitting lessons during the winter. It's not the best paying, but it is what I enjoy! Also, I did inherit some money from my late mother, bless her soul. Hercules is a bartender and he just works whenever he can, mainly during the week. The place he works is okay with all of the overtime." Besides, things were a lot easier during the day, so in Hercules's eyes, he was getting paid more to do less. "Alexander actually works with him, too. And Lafayette is actually the school psychiatrist in the elementary school where I work." 

John chuckled at the look of bewilderment on Eli's face. "I know, but the way he sees it, if a kid that age actually needs his help, someone should at least do the job right. And, if they're just being a jerk, he lets them know. He's very blunt, just like the kids themselves, so it goes over fairly well with them." 

"That's.. Wow.." Eli muttered. "I never would've guessed that about any of you, especially not about Lafayette.." Not when he tried to tell him that men don't cry. 

"Well, he's more harsh on you for the same reason he is on me.. There are still people out there who will see either of us showing a tiny hint of emotion and will call us fakes..." Lafayette was rude and brash and had a tendency to not care about John's feelings, but that didn't mean he completely didn't care about him. They were friends and they were friends for a reason. Lafayette had his reasons for acting how he did and, over time, John learned that for himself. 

And Eli knew he couldn't really do anything besides believe him. It was a risk, but it was a risk he was willing to take. "Okay.. I think I'm just going to get ready to sleep. Would you mind?..."

"No, not at all. I'll be right down the hall, if you need me. First room on your left." John smiled and left the room, leaving Eli on his own. They were going to have to work to keep this kid's trust, John knew that. But it was something he was more than willing to do. 

John went to his own room and changed into pajamas before laying with Hercules and falling asleep, Eli doing the same in his own room. 


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, John was the first awake as usual. He made his way downstairs and made breakfast for everyone, a basic meal of bacon and eggs. He hummed to himself through the sizzle of the bacon, but still heard the tiniest footsteps from behind him. John smiled to himself and greeted the person making them. "Good morning, Eli." 

Eli raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised by the sudden greeting. "Good morning.." 

John turned off the stove and turned to face him. "Sorry if I surprised you. I practically raised four younger siblings. I know sneaky footsteps when I hear them."

"Oh, I didn't mean to sneak," Eli assured him. "I've always just been like that.. Scared the crap out of my mom all the time," he shrugged. 

John chuckled. "I could see that happening. Anyways, I just finished with breakfast, if you're hungry."

"I am.." In all of the excitement of the night before, Eli forgot that he hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. The smell of food made his stomach grumble loudly. 

John smiled. "Well, help yourself. And if you want more after, don't be afraid to ask myself or Alexander." He made Eli a plate and gave it to him. "Just eat at the couch, we all do it." It was just the four of them, they didn't see the need for a dining table. 

"Thank you." Eli smiled gratefully before sitting at the coffee table, devouring his food as John joined him, a worried look on the latter's face. 

"When was the last time you ate?.."

"Lunch yesterday.." Eli muttered, swallowing what was in his mouth. "I forgot how hungry I was in all of the fuss. I ran out before dinner and I was hanging in that park for hours before everything went down," he explained. 

"Oh.. I'm sorry. Again, I'm more than willing to make more food." He always made enough to feed two regular people and two big, hungry men and he accounted now for a teenager, but he wasn't sure if he accounted for one as hungry as Eli must've been. 

"Don't worry about it," Eli said with a smile, seeing the worried look on John's face. "You didn't know. And I know I can ask you for more if I'm still hungry."

John smiled a bit at that. Even after all that he said the night before, Eli still trusted him. "Great. As long as you know that."

Eli nodded and kept eating. 

John checked the time and got up, already finished with his own food. "There's juice in the fridge, if you want, and cups in the cupboards. I have to get ready for knitting lessons, what with it getting cold out." John disappeared up the stairs and got ready, Alexander coming down the stairs a few minutes later, hardly glancing at Eli before going to the kitchen without a word. 

Alexander joined Eli on the couch and ate his food, watching the Saturday morning cartoons that the latter had put on. 

"Good morning," Eli said, making small talk. 

Alexander just nodded. 

"Um.. It's good of you guys to let me stay here.. I just wanted to thank you." 

Alexander nodded again, taking a few bites of his breakfast. 

"So..." Eli began awkwardly. "You can't talk?.." He remembered Alexander saying a bit, but maybe it was his imagination. 

"I can. I just don't have much to say," Alexander explained. 

Eli nodded in understanding. "Okay... Thank you for letting me know." He paused for a second before asking something. Alexander seemed pretty even tempered, so he doubted he'd get offended in any way. "So... Do you guys all kill people?.. How does that work if John seems so squeamish?" Eli remembered John's screams of terror at the idea of a puppy in their home. How could he handle a corpse? 

"We all have our thing," Alexander said without much thought. "It's not a hobby or anything, we just do when we think it's necessary." That much he knew was right. Lafayette may have been a bit excessive in his killing, but Alexander knew that Lafayette felt his actions were justified. "And we don't really do group stuff. John does poison, so no blood or anything and it's hard to trace." He paused to take a bite of his food. 

"I stick to a handgun. It's quick and easy for everyone." Besides, he felt there were too many guns in America. The fact that he killed with a common handgun would either lead to nobody figuring out it was him or people realizing that there were just too many guns. But he couldn't just outright say he thought that. Things got so heated and debates were so long and winding, it was better to just not try out loud. 

"Lafayette and Hercules like to get their hands messy. Hercules makes it slow, like bleeding out or whatever, and Lafayette likes more of a mental pain. That's why you can't stay in the basement yet."

Eli felt his heart stop. They were going to make him stay somewhere where people were killed? He wasn't sure what he expected, but that wasn't it. 

Alexander glanced at his expression. Oh, right. Maybe he was unclear. "Nobody died there. John doesn't allow it, so he just kind of dumps them off wherever. In the basement, he just had them stay without anything and just made sure they knew they weren't leaving. But we don't hurt kids." He began to say it was heartless, but stopped himself. What if Eli didn't think his parents were completely heartless for what they did? What if he forgave them and was just waiting for a good chance to go back? Alexander just kept his mouth shut on that, avoiding another pointless debate. 

"I don't know how I'd feel there.. I mean, I don't want to intrude, but-"

"Quit your worrying," Lafayette said from the stairway behind them. 

Eli and Alexander both turned to face him. 

"There's no blood allowed down there and I agreed with John. Besides, nobody was ever there for more than a couple of days and it's not like I did it all the time. Only a few people pissed me off that much." What was the point in keeping everyone down there when he could just dump them and go? It was only the worst of the worst who he'd torture first. "And we already planned on scrubbing the place down and making it seem like a real room before bringing you in. You'll never know the difference. And John would just be upstairs. As long as he's not busy in bed, you know he'd help you." He would say that John would help even then, but he wouldn't have to. Not with how attached to the kid Hercules was. But people liked mom figures more and John was a mom figure. 

Lafayette's harsh words were surprisingly comforting, Eli found. People weren't really killed there, just trapped. And probably only people like the creep from the night before. Eli could handle that. "Thanks..." 

"Yeah, whatever." Lafayette went outside and had his morning cigarette, Hercules coming down the stairs as the back door slammed shut. 

"Hey, kid. How are you doing?" he asked on his way to the kitchen. 

"I'm fine," Eli answered. "I never thought I'd meet and live with people who are technically serial killers, so it's cool to see that, now that I did, you guys are pretty honest about it all." 

Hercules shrugged. "I wouldn't call us serial killers. They tend to do it for the thrill or because of some childhood grudge. We do it because there are scum in the world who shouldn't be allowed to hurt people," he corrected as he disappeared behind the kitchen wall, coming back out with a huge plate of food. He sat between Eli and Alexander, sinking into the couch like it was part of him. "Besides, people don't know about us." John had a knack for catching people when others would guess a thousand things before they would poison, Alexander blended in to the rest of the gun crime in the state, and Lafayette had a friend with a farm, where he and Hercules would dump their victims as swine food. 

"You guys are smart.." Eli muttered. "It's kind of cool. Definitely not something I'd do, but you guys are good at it. And you manage to live normal lives." The more he thought about it, the more he realized how okay he was with it all. Most people just kept their grudges to themselves or talked behind people's backs or excused bad behaviors because people are just like that. These guys were upfront and they did something about all of the trash in the world. It was kind of everything. 

Hercules smiled and ruffled his hair. "Thanks, but I don't think John would like you idolizing this or anything. 

Eli chuckled and combed his hair back with his fingers. "I don't know if I'd call it idolizing, but it's kind of cool." Besides, he'd have to get used to it, living there and all. They wouldn't hurt him, they wouldn't make him hurt anyone, and they were chill people. What did he have to worry about? 

After breakfast, Eli went up to his room and took a shower, getting ready for shopping with Alexander. When he was done, he sucked up his pride and put on his skinny jeans and band t shirt. He figured he could handle it for a while, just enough for him to get himself new clothes. Besides, it was his fault, a consequence of trying to force himself to be more feminine before he gave up and came out. Whatever, it was just clothes. 

He took a deep breath before getting out of the bathroom, seeing some clothes folded up on his bed with a note. 

[I thought you might like some different clothes - John :)] 

Eli felt his heart ache with happiness as he looked through the clothes that were left. It was simple, just a pair of jeans and a graphic t shirt, but to Eli, it was everything. It was still a weird thought to adjust to, knowing that someone understood how he felt and wanted to help him. His parents always said it was just a phase, but here was John, letting Eli borrow his clothes after knowing him for less than a day. 

He wiped the tears out of his eyes before changing, adoring how he felt without even knowing how he looked. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail before leaving the room, going downstairs to Alexander, who was already ready himself. 

"John told me to give you this," Alexander said as he handed Eli a navy blue sweater. "And we all made a list of what you need." He showed Eli the list, the other's eyebrows raising in surprise. 

"Let's add a job to that list.." he muttered. 

"John also told me to tell you not to worry about money. He said a kid shouldn't have to worry and he'll talk to you about it more later." Alexander definitely agreed with that. Eli wasn't even a teenager yet, he shouldn't have had to worry about money that much. And if he was set on it, Alexander was sure he could do something small somewhere they knew someone. 

"Thanks... I just don't want you guys to think I'm some kind of freeloader.. I have some money, so I can buy my own clothes," Eli assured. 

Alexander shook his head. "John also told me that if I let you use your own money, he'll slip something into my food." He paused for a second and noticed the expression on Eli's face. "Non toxic. It'd just make me sick to my stomach or something."

"Do you guys often hurt each other?" Eli asked. 

Alexander shrugged. He wasn't sure if he'd call it often, but it happened. "It's like with brothers. We wouldn't seriously harm each other. Lafayette and Hercules might scare John or each other and John might slip something practically harmless in our food, but we won't kill each other." 

Eli nodded. Right, like brothers. He didn't have any siblings himself, but he knew what it was like from what he would hear from kids at school. The way that these four behaved with each other definitely took that to the extremes, but so did a lot of things that they did. If he just stepped back and thought about it a bit more, it actually made sense. He pulled John's sweater on and followed Alexander outside to a car. It was a bit older, but definitely well cared for. 

"I like your car," Eli commented. 

"Thanks." Alexander almost cracked a small smile. Almost. "I've had him for years." 

Eli nodded. "It's nice." 

The rest of the car ride was silent, as expected, and very little conversation was exchanged, but it was fine for the two. Alexander was surprised by how well it was for them. John and Hercules always liked to fill in the empty space with conversation and Lafayette just spoke to himself and occasionally to Alexander, so it was nice finding someone who appreciated the silence. 

While they were out, Lafayette threw on an old muscle shirt and shorts and headed down to the basement. He may not have kept himself the cleanest at times, but he couldn't stand a messy environment and he sure as hell wasn't going to let the kid live in one. So, he got to cleaning. He started in the bathroom and made his way out, cleaning claw marks and the occasional blood stain off of the walls and properly screwing in the light bulbs so they'd stop flickering. By the time he finished, it was almost nice looking. It was definitely somewhere livable. And as soon as they had everything on their shopping list, it would actually look like it could be the room of a preteen boy. 

"I didn't see you as the cleaning type," Hercules commented as he walked down into the basement. "I was wondering where all of the cleaning stuff went." 

Lafayette tutted. "He's a kid. Just because I don't shower everyday doesn't mean I'm going to make him live in a pigsty. Some of the morons I kept down here made a real mess and if you guys don't want the kid to leave, you'd ought to be thanking me for cleaning this place up. I even found the bathroom."

"Good. Now you can throw out that bucket."

"I did a long time ago. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was planning on doing the same as you, but now, nothing, I guess." 

Lafayette scoffed and shook his head. "This kid has you and me cleaning. He really is something, isn't he?"

Hercules smiled at that. "He's a kid. And a good one, too. There's no shame in wanting to give him a chance to be normal."

Lafayette sighed and shook his head, heading upstairs. "That's where you're wrong, Hercules. We're not normal."


	4. Chapter 4

When Alexander and Eli got back to the house, it was with arms full of grocery bags and shopping bags. They managed to get everything inside themselves and Eli began taking all of the bags to his room when he was stopped by Lafayette. 

"Nope. After all that time I spent cleaning up the basement, it'd be pointless to take those upstairs, just to have to bring them back down."

Eli smiled sheepishly at Lafayette's disapproving expression. "Thanks.. I'm really sorry you had to do that. I could've-"

"Just a thank you is enough," Lafayette said, cutting him off. "Just leave the bags in the living room. Did you get the paint?"

He nodded. "Alexander told me to leave it in the kitchen.." Eli turned around and headed back to the kitchen, coming back with a few cans and a bag of brushes. 

Lafayette took the cans from his arm and looked down at him. "I expect you to help, so go get into some clothes that you don't mind getting paint on." 

Eli nodded and headed upstairs, throwing on an old sweater and jeans before going down to the basement, finding the only open door that went downstairs. He wasn't sure what he expected. Actually, most of him expected a blood splattered, dingy, terrifying room, but it was actually kind of nice. The bare concrete walls were a bit creepy, but that's what they were there to change. 

Lafayette gave Eli a roller brush and began priming the walls, letting the boy just copy his actions.

Hercules came downstairs as they were finishing up, holding a big box. "Alright, we have a bed that needs to be put together and a dresser and a nightstand waiting upstairs." 

Eli looked at him with wide eyes. "You got new furniture?.. You guys really are too much..."

Lafayette shrugged, taking a break from painting. "Well, you are planning on sticking around, aren't you?"

And it seemed like such an obvious thing, just look at what they were doing, but Eli was genuinely surprised by the offer. He was just some kid that one of them picked up off of the streets and now, he was being offered a place to stay. He knew it well, but it was still so surreal. 

Hercules smiled and put the box down, then walked over and clapped his hand against Eli's back. "You're a cool kid who needs a place to stay. We'd be insane not to let you stick around as long as you want." 

Lafayette nodded. "Yeah. If you want to back out, speak now, while we can still get everything refunded, or hold your peace until you can pay us back." 

Eli chuckled before nodding. "Yeah.. I really want to stick around." 

"Then it's settled," Hercules claimed. "You guys get back to painting. Me and Alex can get started on these." 

John came home a few hours later, sighing dramatically as he walked through the door. "Well, I have had a long day," he announced to absolutely nobody. "I really need a drink." John went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of chocolate milk before looking around for where everyone was. 

"Hello?" he called out upstairs. "Where is everyone?.." John hummed in thought and went downstairs, seeing the basement door open. "Oh!" He headed down the stairs and saw everyone there, piled onto Eli's newly assembled bed. 

John smiled and sat at the edge of the bed, crossing his legs. "Well, I see that you all have had some fun today!" 

Eli nodded. "Yeah. We painted and put the furniture and stuff together and I'm basically moved in." 

John's smile grew wider, if possible. "I'm so glad to hear that you'll be staying with us for a while. We still have a few things to figure out, though. What are we going to do about school for you?"

He shrugged. "I went to a private school before. Everyone knows everyone as far as the adults go and I can't really go back... I can teach myself, though. I'm a quick learner."

John nodded. "Alright. I can homeschool you, if you want. Of course, there are legal ways to get around this, ones we can discuss in time.” No matter what option Eli went with, John knew that was going to take the most time. “We also have a doctor friend, so that's good.” No risking Eli getting caught and sent back to that awful place he called a home, not now, before he was free. 

"We're going to have to be careful with this one," Lafayette commented, though by that point, he wasn’t doing much more than stating the obvious. "His parents will probably have some kind of watch out at some point."

Even Eli couldn't deny that. They may have kicked him out, but they did have a reputation to keep. They would probably "take back" what they said, but he knew the truth. After all, Eli already had multiple arguments with them about LGBT people. They kicked him out for being one without a second thought. They weren't changing their minds and he knew it. 

John reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe here. No matter how much we squabble at times, we never think of turning each other in for everything we've done. Partly because we're so good about getting rid of the evidence," John joked, making Eli laugh a bit. He smiled. "We're not changing that for you. I know this is all very fast and we all just met, but as long as you're under this roof, you're one of us. You're part of our family." 

Eli definitely felt that in his heart. After leaving a family that could care less about him, here was another one, treating him better than he'd ever imagined after less than a day. 

Lafayette sighed and got up. "This is getting too loving for me. I'm going to take a cigarette break before I vomit." He rolled his eyes and went up the stairs, going outside and smoking. He cared about the kid, but he wasn't going to be acting any different for him. 

"Once a party pooper, always a party pooper," John commented once Lafayette was out of earshot. 

Hercules smiled. "This is getting kind of mushy, even for you. I'm heading upstairs to watch some tv or something." He got up and went to the couch. 

Alexander stayed, wordless as ever. After all, he liked Eli. Eli understood him. And Alexander didn't mind John's mushy personality. So, sitting there with them.. It was nice. Peaceful, even. 

Eli turned and faced John. “You said we have some options to get me out of my parent’s house?..”

“Oh!” John sat up and smiled. “Yes.. There are no easy ones, but I can think of two off of the top of my head. If you don’t mind an illegal route, it would involve your original identity dying and us finding you a new one.. The farther the better, perhaps one from across the country.”

“Wait, wait, what.. Where would I get this new identity from?” Eli asked slowly, feeling unsure. 

John sighed and responded softly. “Someone who died as an infant.. It’s far from ideal, but we find someone across the country who died that young and we have a friend who can do everything necessary to make you appear seamlessly.” 

Eli hesitated. “I don’t know.. It just seems so sketchy.. You guys haven’t gotten caught doing anything yet, if you get caught doing this..”

John nodded. “I understand. The other way is the legal way. I’m a bit hesitant on it for a couple of reasons, mainly because if that way fails, it’ll be a lot harder to get you out of there..”

“Aren’t lawyers expensive?.. If you think that’s better, I can try to find a place to work and I’ll help you pay for it.. It’s so much trouble for me..”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all! Especially not for you! Besides, we won’t need to be paying any lawyer because you have one right here,” John said, his eyebrows raising in excitement as he watched Eli figure out what he meant. 

“Alex is a lawyer?”

John tutted and pouted a bit. “No, silly. I am.”

And saying that was shocking was quite the understatement. 

“Not practicing, of course, but I did pass the Bar Exam.” 

Eli furrowed his eyebrows. “But.. Aren’t you a Kindergarten teacher?”

John nodded. “I am and I love that job. The entire story is my father would make me go with him to his job during the summer and on the weekends and whenever else he saw fit and would make me do work for no pay. When I turned 18 and he kicked me out, I may have panicked and made a teeny, tiny threat on his life unless he agreed to say that it counted as an apprenticeship. As powerful as he was, his statement was accepted and I was allowed to take the Bar Exam. I passed, but I knew it’d be such dreadful work, so I just did freelance law work and used it to pay my way through college.” 

And Eli would be lying if he said that was the most shocking thing he’d heard during his time there, but it was pretty high up on that list. “So... The plan is for you to be my lawyer?..” 

“Close.” 

Even knowing that if this failed, Eli felt it was the best idea. So, John explained to him the entirety of the idea and it was put into motion less than an hour later. Back in his old, now washed clothes, Eli went to the police station, accompanied by Lafayette, twitching with nerves the entire time. 

“For someone who trusts us, you sure seem pretty nervous,” Lafayette pointed out as he drove. “Are you going to sit still or not?”

“Sorry..” Eli muttered. “It’s not you guys or this plan that’s making me nervous, it’s my parents.. I’m afraid of what’ll happen if they see me..”

“How many times have we told you? We’re going to keep you safe,” he insisted. “Come on, you’re just a kid. Not only that, but you bonded with everyone else.” 

“Not you?” Eli asked, feeling a bit rejected. 

Lafayette tutted. “In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t bond that way with people. If I do, they’re pretty damn special. I can only count a couple of people.” Like his Alexander. Lafayette had, at first, been attracted to the way Alexander didn’t call him a psychopath for doing what he did the way he did. Even when he realized that Alexander didn’t have a bad thing to say or, hell, any opinion, on anyone else, Lafayette couldn’t seem to shake his feelings for the little guy... 

“Oh..” Eli muttered, not sure how to feel. Surely, Lafayette didn’t say that to spare his emotions, but.. It kind of felt that way. So maybe Lafayette cared for him. Just in his own way. 

“We’re here,” Lafayette announced as he parked at the police station. He got out and Eli took a deep breath, not sure if he was ready to do the same. 

With John’s encouragement fresh in his mind, Eli found the strength to get out of the truck and begin walking towards the entrance, a firm hand on his shoulder from Lafayette. 

“Just remember, anything that happens is just another step in the plan.” 

“The worse the better,” Eli remembered John saying, but he wasn’t quite sure he knew what he meant by that. How could worse ever be better? 

“Elizabeth!” 

Eli felt his face go pale as he recognized the sound of his father’s voice calling out from behind them, his footsteps running over. The young boy tensed up, but soon realized that it wasn’t him who should’ve done so. 

**Author's Note:**

> If I continue this, it would possibly be on Ko-Fi, just so I can earn some extra money or it might not be. I'm still unsure.


End file.
